Happy Birthday, Happy Easter, Happy Happy Happy!

A lot to go through from the past bit so let’s jump right in!

Of the biggest news is the release from our record setting heat wave. I think we hit 2 weeks straight of 35’C (95’F) or hotter weather. Our lawn somehow looks like it survived which is a massive relief given that we’d have to pay for a new one here in a month or so if it was brown. It was a trip for sure … nothing like dripping sweat while driving your car or paying $$$$$ for air conditioning. But, it was something to remember Australia for. One of the beauties of living in Adelaide is that you get the desert feel (no humidity :) and yet you live by the ocean as well. No sooner did the heat wave leave, than we received our first rain storm in I don’t know how long. One of my favorite smells is that wiff you get in the desert right after it starts to rain. We got that same sensation here in Adelaide and it was awesome!

The other BIG news is that Collin has turned 4!!! He was so happy to finally have a cake and all the presents (thanks G&Gs, aunts and uncles … everyone!) We received a lot of packages from home and had a huge package opening activity. It made for a lot of little happy kids. Collin’s party was all about balloons and streamers. He wanted broccoli cheese soup for his dinner – strange kid, I know. And he had fun with his rocket party hats/plates/cups … so we had to continue with a rocket cake. He was a pretty happy camper.

Collin has been having a few problems with making it to the toilet on time. A couple of times he has realized he’s had to go only to make it to the bathroom and next to the toilet … and then loses it. The other day Kelli was so frustrated with him and asked why he didn’t listen to his body better, to which Collin responded, “I did listen to my body and it said, ‘go quickly!’” Speaking of potty talk, he also loves potty humor. He filled out his NCAA tournament bracket. On one side of his bracket he finds the team, “Pittsburgh” to which he starts laughing hysterically at the ‘PITTS’ part of the name (from arm’pits’). So he decides to take ‘PITTS’ all the way to the finals. On the other side of the bracket he finds the team “Butler” to which he once again starts to roll because of “BUTTler”. So you can guess who met in the finals – both teams of which didn’t make it out of the first two rounds of the tourney. He is also quite competitive. He keeps asking how many points he has in the competition we have going on with the tournament, and somehow we have to mask the fact he is at the bottom of the ladder with the least points … otherwise we might have a sad little boy on our hands. He’s also our little Mr. Nick Jr. He loves to play on the internet all the games on the Nick Jr site and has become quite the expert. On additional happy notes, he graduated from the platypus group in his swimming class and now turns into a starfish! We’re oh so proud parents!

Hunter is a goof. The kid is a water magnet. What’s the word for someone who likes water like a pyromaniac likes fire … cause that’s Hunter through and through. Just give the kid a bucket and he’ll sit outside all day pouring water on himself. That and he’s still getting into mischief. Yesterday he was quiet for a bit (first bad sign) and then he comes traipsing in with this white foam all over his clothes. We go into the computer room and there is Collin oblivious to the world and then there is Hunter who managed to find a can of shaving cream. He thought it would be a good idea to expel the contents all over the carpet. The positive side is that the room smelled pretty good after I was done cleaning it up. On the bright side, he has started going to kindy – a sort of preschool for 3 hours once a week. He cried for 15 minutes or so, but finally made it on his own. We also had success with keeping him in nursery. Last week he made it on his own, and the following week he wouldn’t leave sacrament with Savannah because he knew she was going to take him to nursery! He went like a trooper and ended up staying the whole time. I think we’ve turned a corner!

Savannah is doing really well in school. She’s an excellent speller and is very good at reading. She’s also mastered the freestyle stroke in swimming and can now go about 15 meters all on her own! She’s also got a wicked backstroke … which is probably her best. Watch out Nathan – you might have a competitor.

I had a cool experience recently. I was doing a Saturday morning run down the river park path. As I was ‘cruising’ along, I looked up and two bikers had stopped and were photographing something with their cell phones. As I got closer I realized there was a Koala just walking along the path as if he owned the place. As I got closer and passed on the other side of the path he walked to the edge of his side of the path which dropped precipitously down to the river. Then he stopped, gathered himself, and took a flying leap to a tree which was probably 3 feet away. It was like a koala-spiderman. Then it turned and just looked at us while hugging the tree as if to pose and let everyone take more pictures. It was quite entertaining. They are so weird walking along the ground – kind of uncoordinated and gremlin-like. But then sitting in trees they are cute and cuddly. One of nature’s strangest furballs.

Easter was pretty good. We colored our ‘army’ eggs – but used more food coloring this year than we did last so they actually turned a shade of color. The kids had to wait until Saturday afternoon to do the easter bunny thing since I was on a young men’s camp Friday through Saturday. Savannah was pretty upset earlier in the week when she found out that the easter bunny wouldn’t be coming Saturday morning. So, she wrote him a letter and had me ‘post’ it to him to see if he’d be willing to come in the afternoon instead. Thankfully he obliged. I was most in trouble though for getting home at 3:30 instead of 3! Go figure :)

In other news, for those that haven’t received the news yet … yes, we are expecting our fourth child in October. We’re guessing sometime around Halloween, but you never know. Could end up a turkey baby! Either way Savannah will finally have some company at that end of the calendar :) Kelli is pretty sick but luckily hasn’t had to puke. Just tired and can’t go in the kitchen … that and she keeps craving things she can’t have … like Applebee’s, Sonic banana shakes, etc. I did make her a spinach/artichoke dip to at least quail some of the cravings.

Kelli was also released recently from her calling in the Relief Society presidency and I am being released as the young men’s president this Sunday. I managed to sneak in a last camp with the boys over last weekend. e took them about 3 hours northeast to a hilly area near the outback. The sand was so fine it was like leaving your footprints on the moon – expect that it was an orange and red sand instead of gray of course. Our second counselor is really into doonbuggies and offroading --- the boys had a kick in the pants until we ruptured the fuel tank in the doonbuggie by going over too many sharp rocks in the creek bed. Did you know that you can fix a gaping hole in a fuel tank with some soap shavings and spit? Learned something new. I’ll post some pictures when I get them from the boys … it was quite entertaining. I’ll miss the boys, we’ve had a good run together and I hope they’ve increased their testimonies as a result of our time over the past nearly 2 years.

We also got to participate in Elder Bednar’s recent trip to Australia. We saw him in person on Wednesday here in Adelaide although we only made it through the first hour since our kids were on one (it didn’t start until 7:30 so they were pretty ornery and tired after the first half hour.) Then we participated in the satellite broadcast from Sydney. Stacy Hutchinson did a good run down of the highlights so visit their blog to the right if you are interested. It was neat to listen to an Apostle – I think I was most impressed by his humility and blunt recognition that without the guidance and promptings of the Spirit he wouldn’t be able to have accomplished what he has nor be in the position he is now.

Anyway, that’s about it for the past week. Hope you all are doing well and we look forward to seeing most of you very, very soon!